from space and hurl like an extreme human cannonball, no thank you, and head straight toward the new mexico desert. >> reporter: the plan, years in the making is simply astounding. felix baumgartner will try to make a supersonic stratospheric jump leaping from 23 miles high and breaking the sound barrier at speeds of more than 700 miles an hour. baumgartner, a former austrian paratrou paratroupeer, says he's ready for the extreme challenge. >> we practiced this for so many years. and now we are almost there. so this is my biggest dream. and we are one step closer and almost there. i feel good at the moment. >> reporter: along with baumgartner's nerves of steel, the mission requires cutting-edge equipment. he'll strap on a helmet, special suit, and lift off from roswell in a 3,000-pound cable and bag, balloon with 30 million cubic feet of helium, the skin thinner than a ziploc baggy. stretching 55 stories high, it is so huge it would cover 40 acres if laid flat. the ride up to reach 120,000 feet will take close to three hours, and then with the sky black and the curve of earth in sight, the